Now, Later, Soon
by Gnatters
Summary: Doctor pops into the hub for a visit. Jack is horny, Ianto is angsty, and the Doctor is still running. Jack/Ianto, Jack/Ten One-shot


Now – Later – Soon

**Pairing:** Jack/Ianto, Jack/Ten  
**Rating:** PG  
**Spoilers:** None, I think…  
**Challenge:** Music  
**Summary:** The Doctor has popped in for a visit. Jack is horny, Ianto is angsty, and the Doctor is still running.

**Author's Note:** This very heavily based on the song of the same title from the Stephen Sondheim show, "A Little Night Music." I was listening to the soundtrack and this song decided to spawn a plot bunny that hasn't left for the past few weeks, so I finally sat down this morning and wrote. Now the bunny can stop eating my brain. Please be nice, this is only my second fic .

Jack sits in his office, unable to focus on the paperwork in front of him, not with the Doctor and Ianto chatting downstairs about whether coffee or tea is better. Now, he didn't really care what they were talking about, just that they were _there_, together, simply tempting him.

It left him with two possibilities: a) he could ravish one of them, b) he could try to actually get some of this paperwork done. The Captain had read a single paragraph since the Doctor showed up three hours ago. Say it's the ravishment then, now the option that follows of course is a) uselessly chase after the Doctor in an attempt to finally bed him, or b) uselessly chase after Ianto, who would always be the prefect host and continue to entertain the Doctor no matter how horny Jack was. There was always the ever-illusive option of c) just go down there and try for either. Now, if he went with C, what would be festive but have its effect? There were two ways of broaching it: a) the suggestive, or b) the direct. Would suggestive be effective? He was always suggestive, they would not understand, which eliminates A and leaves him with B. Now, another choice follows of course, what tactics to use in his more direct manor: a) deployment of the standard Harkness charm, or he could b) come out alarmingly in the nude. Now, B might be effective, his body was fantastic, but the Doctor was never one to be superficial, probably because his own species changed so much, and Ianto had already seen him naked more times than he'd probably died. But they had also both been somewhat desensitized to his patented Harkness charm, which leave the suggestive, but how to proceed? Ianto would ignore him, in favor of being the perfect host, and the Doctor would be oblivious, which eliminates A. Now that his plan of attack was crumbling before him, there were other possibilities to be examined, he might as well do his paperwork.

Now, he must adjust his original plan. How could he focus half as much as he usually could? Well now, he still wants and or loves them, now as always. Even now…

Later, Ianto will put Jack out of his misery. He could see his poor Captain pacing up in his office, gazing down at them periodically before attempting to go back to his paperwork. Later he will take him to his bedroom, and let himself be undressed and ravished to the brink of his existence, but not till later. Always later… At least this time it is his choice.

He smiles at the Doctor, being polite, and but only praying that later Jack will finally accept that the alien will never love him. When is later? Later, Jack will stop crying the Doctor's name in bed at least once a week. Later, the Captain will say how much he loves him and actually _mean_ it.

All he ever hears is later, Ianto. When is later? When he wants to contribute to a plan it is always later, Ianto, we know. Everyone agrees, Ianto, we'll listen later, Ianto. You can go on a mission later, Ianto, but we need our coffee and coats. He could be practically bursting with a personal problem, and all he ever years is later from his friends, his teammates, his lover. And who cares if he is falling apart inside, because later they will deal with his emotional repercussions with Lisa, as long as he does not show that fracture on the surface. They all accept him, reassure him that he is an integral part of the team, but later they leave him to be their maid.

He glances back up at Jack, who is trying to focus on the folder again. Later, Jack will be his entire world, but only minor piece of Jack's. But he will keep going back, even when he cries for a man that will never come. Well, at least not now, maybe the Time Lord will surrender later.

It is always later, never now.

Soon, Jack, I promise. Soon I won't shy away from your warm touch touch. Soon, I'll let you lay me down, kiss me with all that love I know you have, and I won't flinch. . Soon, I'll want to accept those gestures, soon you'll caress my brow, and I won't mind it. Soon you will deftly brush my clothes away, and I'll lean into the touch. Even now, when we're close and we touch, I can feel that prejudice healing. Soon you won't be "wrong," but just Jack. You'll be completely my Jack, soon.

You have to admit, I'm endearing, so what is one small shortcoming, Jack? Just because I can't give it to you now, but soon, you hold that minor bit or resentment in your love, taint it. Think of how much I adore you, your humanity, your ability to, even after all these years, love a mere human so deeply, knowing their life is a flicker in comparison to ours. I don't want to lose you Jack, your devotion makes me want to be better, to give you what you want. But if I were perfect for you, wouldn't you tire of me, like all the others? Just wait a little longer, it will happen soon, just don't leave me after.

Soon, I'll tell you how much I love you, too. Soon I will kiss you, instead of waiting around for you to initiate another one. Soon I will be the one putting that blissful smile on your face. Soon I'll help you forget all the pain, the abandonment I've forced you through. I'll replace it with love, soon. Soon I'll invite you back on the TARDIS to stay. We'll travel the universe together fighting all the evils of the cosmos, soon, and will until the end of my thirteenth life. Soon I will accept you that deeply into me.

Just not now, Jack, it'll be later, sometime soon.


End file.
